Mobile operators are striving to improve operational efficiency of their networks and pursue cost control by raising the average revenue per user (ARPU) by offering new data services. This is no secret.
Tremendous growth in data traffic is being driven by increased use of video, music, photo sharing, and the like. This is not a secret.
A recent AT&T survey states that smartphone users double the ARPU. This I did not know.
Regardless of the infrastructure upgrades that occur in the core of the network, mobile carriers will never realize the full benefits of these upgrades so long as bottlenecks occur at various points along the way. Today, over 90% of cell sites are connected with T1 lines, which means these points in the network are major culprits for serving as those bottlenecks.
At the recent CTIA show, Juniper Networks unveiled the BX 7000, a new mobile backhaul solution designed to speed deployment of high-bandwidth services by enhancing the flexibility, scale and operational efficiency of mobile operators’ networks.
Juniper’s BX 7000 Multi-Access Gateway and new M-series Circuit Emulation Physical Interface Cards (PICs) are part of an overall backhaul solution that promises to enable comprehensive network management capabilities through new enhancements to the JUNOScope framework, as well as the capability for zero-touch deployments.
The BX 7000 Multi-Access Gateway is purpose built for the mobile market. Rather than use a mix of legacy TDM and ATM technologies, Juniper’s BX 7000 leverages an IP/MPLS connection.
According to Juniper:
The BX 7000 will feature a unique timing expansion module that protects network investments and provides a wide range of timing synchronization options by allowing customers to replace clocking modules as technologies and network requirements evolve. Additionally, the BX 7000 provides an expansion slot that will offer maximum flexibility for backhaul network uplinks.
Juniper also introduced a series of new Circuit Emulation PICs for their M-series routers.
To further reduce operating expenses and simplify deployment, provisioning and management of these backhaul networks, Juniper also unveiled an upgrade to their JUNOScope network management framework. New JUNOScope features include remote software upgrades; configuration management; and inventory management across the entire solution.
The BX 7000 and M-series Circuit Emulation PICs will reportedly be available by the fourth quarter.
